Acer is really stepping up their game with their new line of hybrids. The new Acer Aspire Switch 12 is probably the best one yet. It has a 12.5-inch display with Gorilla glass, a brand new processor that packs plenty of power, and a really well put together design that lets you get the most out of it in every mode.

Everyone has heard the rumors about Apple’s iPad Pro, but before you get too excited about it, you should really check into this new hybrid.The Switch 12 has a bigger screen than the iPad Pro is supposed to have, and it has a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. The keyboard can be attached with a magnet or even used wirelessly. It has a kickstand built into the back of it that makes it more versatile than any of their other previous hybrids. It has five different modes that it can be used in due to the kickstand and wireless keyboard. These modes include notebook, tablet, display, tent and desktop mode. It is also going to look a little bit different than the rest of the Switch hybrids. Instead of being silver, it will be mainly black which gives it a sleek, sexy, and professional look. The included keyboard is full-sized so you won’t have any trouble getting adjusted to it. It also has a pen that comes with it so that you can jot down notes quickly as you think of them.The processor is Intel’s new Core M processor that keeps popping up in new devices. It packs plenty of power to do just about anything, and it runs super cool so that you never have to worry about it overheating no matter what task you are trying to accomplish. It has a built in microUSB 3.0 port and even a microHDMI port so you have a lot of options for connectivity. It will also come with two different options for storage space, one with 60GB of internal storage and one with 120GB of internal storage.Apple’s rumored iPad Pro doesn’t seem to be able to hold a candle to what the Switch 12 is capable of. If you were planning on picking one of those up when it comes out, I would urge you to reconsider.There has been no official word on how much Acer’s new hybrid will cost, but it’s coming out early next year so we should be hearing more about it very soon.

Mobile devices change and get better almost on a daily basis. This is one reason why Apple’s iPad sales have really been suffering lately. New stuff comes out that is better and cheaper, and phones are getting so big that people really don’t need tablets as much as they used to.

This is why Apple decided that they were going to refresh their line of iPads. They were going to revamp them and make them something awesome that people would be excited to buy again. But there is something that is really odd to me… If iPad sales are really that bad and they keep trying to find new cool things to add to them and make people buy them again, why is the new iPad mini the exact same thing that it has always been?

Specifications

If you look at the specs, it’s really confusing and laughable. It has the same exact 7.9 inch 2.048 x 1,536 display that last year’s Retina Mini had. Don’t get me wrong, it still looks good and everything. It looked good last year too though. What is the point?

That’s not where it ends though. Lots of new processors have come out in the past year. Even all of the Apple stuff got processor upgrades. So it is really surprising to see that the new iPad mini has the exact same A7 chip that last year’s model had. It runs at 1.27GHz and has 1GB of RAM. So it performs well in most situations, but there really isn’t anything to get excited about. Even the new iPad Air got an A8 chip and 2GB of RAM, which is a pretty good upgrade. So even if Apple decides to put out another version of the iPad Mini a few years from now, it’s probably only to get about as good as the current iPad Air anyway. I’m literally not even seeing one reason to upgrade yet.

The Big (Mini) Picture

If you are in the market for a small tablet, there really isn’t anything WRONG with the iPad Mini. It can get pretty much anything done, you can surf the web and play games flawlessly, check your email, and anything else. The whole point is just that they have been selling the same thing for years, and they seem like they don’t understand why their sales are suffering. Maybe the general public has caught on to the fact that there are other companies who actually put current technology into their devices, and that the name “Apple” doesn’t make your device any better. I don’t really know, but I do know that this was an overall very poor effort on Apple’s part.

As far as performance goes, the best tablet on the market this winter might actually be the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9. It’s the first Android tablet to have the new Qualcomm 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 805 processor. So it’s way faster than the last model by about 70 percent, and it’s display is even sharper than Apple’s Retina display iPads.

It has a new Dynamic Light Control technology that is really useful when reading. It uses an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the color temperature and make the screen look as much like a printed page as possible.

The body is made out of magnesium. Because of this, it is significantly lighter than even the iPad Air. Weighing only 13.2 ounces, traveling with it and carrying it will not even be an issue.

Another cool thing about the HDX 8.9 is the fact that it has Dolby Atmos support. When you listen with headphones, it gives a really crazy effect like you’re listening to 3D sound. Any movie that was filmed this way will be incredible to watch on this tablet with a nice set of headphones.

Like the Fire phone, the HDX 8.9 also has Firefly. It can recognize pretty much anything you can take a picture of, tell you about it, and tell you where to get it. It can even do that with TV shows or movies if you’re not sure what you are watching and want to find out. It can also translate foreign languages for you. To go along with all of that, it has a nice 8 megapixel camera so that you can scan things with precision.

As far as the operating system goes, the HDX 8.9 is running the new Fire OS 4 “Sangria”. It has a few new features that could be quite useful like a Family Library feature. This lets you share books, music, apps and things like that with your entire household.

With all of the other tablets on the market, it kind of pains me to say that this one might end up being the best overall value. And speaking of value, a tablet rental from www.rentourtablets.com is your best bet for any short or long term rental, and they keep the latest equipment in stock! For the most part I have always thought that Amazon products were very gimmicky and just another way for the company to trick you into buying more things from their website. But, the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is actually looking like a pretty solid product.

By the end of this year and probably in time for the holiday season, Lenovo has plans to release some new Yoga tablets and hybrids. As we all know, Ashton Kutcher is signed on with the company, and he is going to have a big part in the design and development of these new devices.

Yang Yuanging is the CEO of Lenovo. He has a lot of faith in the new partnership with Kutcher and thinks that the new devices are going to be really popular when they come out. They are going to hold a huge event in just a few days where they will announce the new products. Kutcher will be joining the announcement via satellite.

None of the products have been announced yet, but there have been multiple hints on the Lenovo website. They have a product page for the Yoga 3 Pro that only says “Shhh. Can’t talk now”.

The Lenovo Yoga tablets are currently a little weird. The smaller ones have Android and the larger ones have Windows. So there is really no telling what this new Yoga Pro 3 will have. But, for Lenovo’s sake, I hope it has more going for it than just Ashton Kutcher’s name. I worry that Lenovo thinks that alone will take them further than it really will.

Amazon might not be your first choice for your tablet needs, as it doesn’t have the same fashionable appeal as Apple, but they’re showing off some brand new tablets to catch your eye. Many of the tablets that have been released by Amazon before usually get very good reviews. This time, instead of just releasing one tablet, they’ve decided to release a few in order to compete with the rest of the models on the market. They’ve made the decision to cover just about every type of tablet that you would want to own. Everything from the top of the line to the very affordable “economy” tablets. The one that everyone will be watching is definitely their flagship Kindle Fire HDX 8.9

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9

The updated version of the tablet has a lot more to offer performance wise, or so says Amazon. The tablet still has the same dimensions as its original predecessor. It’s still 8.9 inches and 13.2 ounces, and still smaller and lighter than the iPad Air that many people still swear by. The updated tablet will be housing a brand new Qualcomm quad core Snapdragon 805 processor and a sleek, new Arduino 450 GPU. This will give much better all around performance and even be able to offer “console-quality gaming”, or so says Amazon. The display on the new model is even better than the last time around and still better than the Air as well. The new model will be sporting a 2560×1600 pixel resolution display, and the tablet’s ppi is set at 339. If you’re unfamiliar with that term, it means “pixels per inch”. The Air is only at 2048×1536 pixel resolution and running at 264 ppi. Needless to say, the Kindle Fire beats it in the display department, hands down.

They Didn’t Forget The Software

If you have new technology, you can’t have it without some new software right? Don’t worry, cause Amazon has you covered. The new tablet is working with Android KitKat, but that operating system will eventually move to the mobile OS. This is where the upgrade comes into play. The Fire OS 4.0 will be seeing a host of new features with its update. Tablet users will now be able to access the cloud-based Firefly service that was first released on the Fire Phone. The Firefly service will be able to work with the tablet’s camera in order to identify a large number of items, like movies and TV shows. The tablet will later be able to use a new app called Translation. By opening Firefly, and as long as the internet connection permits, you will be able to point the camera at any text that appears in a different language, and it will translate it right there on the spot. The new software definitely has some sweet little perks to it.

It Wouldn’t Be Complete Without An Additional Keyboard

That’s right. Following suit with what seems to be the big trend now, the new tablet will also offer a separate additional keyboard. Obviously it won’t come with the new tablet, but it will only be a $60 investment should you want to go that route. The keyboard is only 7 ounces and 4.8 mm thick. The keyboard, however isn’t attachable. It’s actually ran through Bluetooth which could be both good and bad depending on how you look at it. Unless you plan on being extra productive or plan on using it for gaming, there shouldn’t be any real need for the keyboard however. That being said, the trend is big enough for Amazon to take notice and add it to their tablets.

Amazon knows that they’re not exactly on the top of the tablet game, but they’re doing a good job making a nice selection of tablets to cover all of their bases. Even if you like Apple, you can’t help but take notice of Amazon’s efforts.

7 inch tablets are starting to get phased out. People still want super compact tablets, but now that smartphones are starting to become more popular people are starting to want tablets that are a little bit bigger as well. 8 inches seems to be the most popular size for smaller tablets now. They are still small enough to hold in one hand and transport very easily, but they still big enough to be noticeably bigger than most smartphones. Lenovo’s new Tab 8 has been announced recently and it is sure to be one of the more popular tablets on the market. It offers a nice Android experience on a 1920 x 1200 screen for just $199.

The Lenovo Tab 8 runs on its own custom version of Android 4.4 KitKat and is powered by an Intel quad-core 1.3 GHz Atom Z3745 processor. This processor is really good. Even good enough to do video editing or gaming with. The Tab 8 comes in two different versions, a Wi-Fi only version or a 4G LTE version. It has 2GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage space, front facing speakers and Bluetooth 4.0. It also features a rear facing 8 MP camera with a f2.2 lens so that you can take better pictures in low light settings. The front facing camera is nothing more than what you would generally expect, but at least it has one so that you can Skype and do things of that nature.

A few of the main competitors to this tablet fall a little bit short in comparison. The Dell Venue 8 (left) costs the same amount of money and is thicker, heavier, has a dual core processor, 1GB of ram and has a rear camera that is only 5 MP. The ASUS MeMO Pad 8 ME181C is another competitor around the same price range which is also heavier and the resolution is way worse.

The Tab 8 is said to get about 7 hours of life off a full charge. This is about an hour less than the average for this type of tablet, but you have to give it credit still. It is a lot more powerful than most tablets in its class and the battery life is only one hour less. It seems pretty worth it to me.

One thing that the Lenovo Tab 8 lacks is any type of extra or special features. Some of the Samsung tablets have things like multi window mode, gesture control and things like that. You won’t find any of that with the Tab 8, but the performance makes up for it in my opinion. If you are going to invest a substantial amount of money into a piece of technology, I feel like you should get more than a few cheap thrills that you’re not even going to appreciate after the first 3 hours of use anyway.

There is no official word on when we could be seeing this neat little tablet in the United States yet, but you can be sure that it will most certainly hit shelves in time for the holiday season.

If you have even stepped outside once in the past few years, you may have started noticing a trend occurring. There has been a shift in the technology that we use today. Apple has taken over just about everything in the consumer technology department. Samsung is still doing its best to compete with Apple. Microsoft is still struggling to get back into the game and convince people that regular PCs and Windows are cool. There are a lot of tablets now as well. Just recently, however, and by recently I mean within the past few years, there has been another change in the technology, mainly in the tablet and laptop department.

Some people thoroughly enjoy using their tablets for everything. Others only use it for surfing the web and games because they can’t stand not having a keyboard. Thus, the change occurred. The tablet-laptop hybrid was made. Does that mean that it’s taking over now though?

Microsoft

Microsoft has been looking like a dying breed for a while now. They’re far from out of the game, but they aren’t at the level that they used to be either. They, just like Samsung, have to compete with Apple and their iPad. Microsoft does have something that Apple doesn’t have. Apple has the MacBook. Apple also has the iPad. Microsoft’s answer to this? The Surface Pro 3. The latest rendition of the Surface Pro was hyped up so much by Microsoft that the ad even claimed that it was the “tablet that could replace your laptop”. In reality, it easily could. Reason being is that it was able to be a laptop when you needed it (after the purchase of the keyboard attachment of course) and a tablet when you needed it. You didn’t need to buy two separate devices. With the Surface Pro 3, you have them both.

Dell

Here’s a name you might not have thought about in a while. Dell is still in the game, and at this year’s IFA conference in Berlin, they made sure that everyone was aware of that fact. Dell is following suit with the laptop-tablet hybrid game, much like everyone else in the mobile technology industry right now. They released their new Latitude 13 7000, which they are claiming to be a “2 in 1” device. Dell hasn’t really been making too much noise, as they’ve been drowned out by the likes of Microsoft, Samsung, and Apple. That being said, this new device aims to jump in the battle with the other hybrids out there. It was announced at the event but won’t be available to the public until October. Just be ready to spend around $1,200 if you want to try out their version.

What Does It Mean?

This change in the direction of technology could mean a lot of things. It could mean that this is what we can expect all of the tech giants to do now. It could mean that soon the laptop and hybrid will no longer exist as two separate entities but only as hybrids. Apple is making an announcement on the 9th of this month and for all we know it could be about their own version of a iPad and MacBook hybrid. Although that is highly unlikely, the possibility is still there as the IFA conference showed that this seems to be a big trend among the mobile market now. It could end up saving consumers and developers a lot of money in long run, but we won’t know until something like that actually happens.

I for one don’t own a tablet, but I do enjoy using them. I also enjoy just using my laptop. Should this become the new tech trend and take over officially, it might take some getting used to, but I feel that ultimately it wouldn’t be a bad financial call on either end.

There have been a lot of rumors about Apple this year. The next several months could potentially be a make-or-break period of time for them. Things are supposed to be crazy with the release of the iPhone 6. According to some reports, there may even be multiple versions of the smartphone that drop at the same time. Photos and reports of the next installment of the iPad Air have also been leaked.

As far as tablets go, Apple has always been on top. From the moment they launched the original iPad, the whole market has been wrapped around their finger. The only problem that Apple faces now is the fact that almost every company in the world has decided to make their own variation of the tablet, and there isn’t much left to do. Apple needs to find a way to bring excitement back enabling them to capture the market all over again.

According to new reports from Bloomberg, Apple is working on a brand new iPad that is going to have a display much larger than any that we have ever seen before. On the market currently we have iPads that are 9.7 inches and the iPad mini tablets that are 7.9 inches. According to Bloomberg, Apple has been working on an iPad that will have a 12.9-inch display that could be released as early as next year. The report cites a lot of sources that have proven to be pretty credible in the past. They say that the company has been working on this project for well over a year with their suppliers.

This news is coming at a time when things are already pretty exciting for Apple fans. We have been smothered by all of the news and rumors surrounding the much anticipated release of the iPhone 6. It is supposedly coming out in a 4.7-inch version along with a larger 5.5-inch version. That is scheduled for launch on September 9th. Apple is really trying to dominate the mobile market in general right now.

The best thing about putting out a larger iPad is the fact that it has potential to re-light the spark that once surrounded the iPad. Sales have been suffering in comparison to previous years. Consumers would rather upgrade their smartphones than upgrade their tablets. You can’t really blame them. But by giving us an iPad with a 12.9-inch display, it may give consumers a real reason to think about upgrading from their old iPad.

An iPad with a larger display could also prove to be quite handy in the office. The company has been trying to expand their business into the world of enterprise. Along with offering a larger, more useful and productive iPad, they will also be offering businesses iPhones and iPads that come preloaded with enterprise specific apps. This could also be a huge move for the company.

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Samsung and Barnes & Noble have teamed up to put together a brand new tablet. They have officially unveiled their collaboration. It is called the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook.

Basically, the tablet looks pretty identical to the standard 7 inch Galaxy Tab 4. The main difference is that it comes loaded with Barnes & Noble Nook software.

The tablet can still use and run on Android software. If you choose to go that route, the software will be modified to include the Samsung features along with the Barnes & Noble features. This means that there will still be the Nook shop, but it will also have features that Samsung would build into it like the ability to run apps and open multiple windows at a time on the home screen.

Barnes & Noble announced that the new tablet will be available today. It costs $179 and Barnes & Noble is also throwing in $200 worth of apps and books, all for free.

A couple months ago, Barnes & Noble announced that they wouldn’t be making their own Nook tablets anymore. In June, Samsung and Barnes & Noble announced that they would be working together to bring us the next installment of the Nook, but they did a really good job at keeping all of the details quiet. This is the first thing we have even heard about it, and it is already out. Enjoy!

For all of you out there that have to wear glasses, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to sit back and read a book or surf the web on your tablet without wearing them? As it turns out, pretty soon you will be able to. With new technology, screens will be able to correct vision problems.

The technology is going to be able to change the way images are displayed on a screen based on your glasses’ prescription. The screens will use different algorithms along with light filters to do this. Each pixel will be changed, and when the light passes through little holes in the screen, it will reach your eyes in a way that makes the image sharper for you as if you were either wearing glasses or had perfect vision. This can also work for people that can’t be helped with glasses. Even those who have physical defects that distort their vision could benefit from this technology, which is incredible.

There have been a few other companies that have attempted to create products like this before, but it has never really worked out to the extent that these new screens are going to. Brian A. Barsky, a computer science professor at Berkely, is working on this along with researchers from MIT and Microsoft. They are going to present a research paper at the International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques that explains the whole project.

The next step is to figure out how to use this technology to create a product that real life people can go out and buy and use on their own. There are still a few obstacles left to overcome, but the team is confident. At the moment, only one person specifically would be able to use the product based on their needs and their needs alone. But they are working on being able to make a product that has settings that can be changed and used by multiple people and shared.